Friday, August 31, 2007

This article in today's Detroit Free Press is a perfect example of human kindness and confirms that the greatest gift one human being can give to another is the "Gift of Life" through organ donation. Happy Labor Day weekend to all! Merv.

August 31, 2007BY ZLATI MEYERFREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Workers usually share cubicle walls, office gossip and the occasional restaurant lunch, but two Detroit Institute of Arts staffers now are forever linked by the gift of life.

Grant writer Ann Serra, 42, who has had autoimmune hepatitis for two decades, often chatted with Denise Harting, an IT manager, about their children.

Then, last March, Harting's simple "How are you doing?" -- a question asked millions of times near water coolers nationwide -- catapulted the friends to a life-changing decision. When Serra explained she was on the organ transplant waiting list, Harting, a 47-year-old Commerce Township resident, considered donating.

"It got me going," Harting said Thursday, when she and Serra returned to Henry Ford Hospital for one of several post-transplant checkups. "Jeff, my 7-year-old, said, 'You're doing it, right?' "

After tests determined Harting and Serra were a compatible match, Serra, who lives in Wyandotte, was able to bypass the 18,000-name waiting list for a liver. On Aug. 6, surgeons transplanted part of Harting's liver into Serra during a 13 1/2 -hour operation.

A living-donor adult-to-adult transplant between non-relatives is rare, according to Dr. Atsushi Yoshida. The transplant surgeon explained that the piece of Harting's liver now in Serra will grow to size, as will the remainder in Harting.

In autoimmune hepatitis, the body's own immune system attacks the liver.

The illness "completely impacted every decision," said Serra, the mother of two. "I would've liked three children. I got my master's in three years, not because I'm smart, but because I thought I might die."

But with the chunk of healthy organ came an infusion of energy and the opportunity to enjoy foods Serra hadn't eaten in years, like chili dogs, french fries and root beer floats. She no longer sleeps a lot or finds it hard to stand.

"Tragedy brings out the best in people," said Serra, whose 9-year-old daughter, Sydney, offered up a piece of her own liver after no relatives or friends were eligible or willing.

The two women smiled as they shared their ultimate story of friendship, but reminders of the transplant's seriousness emerged occasionally, like when Harting held the incision spot on her right side, which hurt when she laughed.

Harting's reason for volunteering stemmed from their common experience -- motherhood. She said that having three kids the same age as Serra's made her stop and think what life would be like for them without a mom.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

This article in the Eastbourne Herald (U.K.) caught my attention because just yesterday I was marvelling at the large contingent of transplant recipients from the United Kingdom at the World Transplant Games taking place August 25 to September 2 in Bangkok, Thailand. The top five countries total attendance at the games: United Kingdom 190, Australia 111, Nederlands 105, United States 96, Canada 80. These numbers include participants, friends, family members and support people. For a breakdown for all participating countries go to: Registration update.

August 29, 2007by Andrew Raeburn A star swimmer who has had four kidney transplants is in Thailand this week hoping to prove he is the best in the world.

Michael Gates, 23, from Princess Street, Seaford, is competing in his second World Transplant Games in Bangkok aiming to emulate his impressive performances at the British Transplant Games last month.

He won gold in the 50m backstroke and bronze in the 50m breaststroke in Edinburgh and now takes on the best in the world in those events.

Michael, who finished just outside the medals in Canada two years ago, will be one of more than 1,000 transplant recipients taking part in Bangkok to raise awareness of the need for organ donors and to celebrate their second chance at life.

Michael had his first transplant aged just 14 months, although the kidney was rejected.

Over the next five years, he had to endure more than 70 operations, including three more transplants, before a perfect match was found.

He originally started swimming to strengthen his left lung after it collapsed.

Now, after winning medals both in the UK and Australia, Michael will hoping to challenge in Thailand.

He said, "This event is a vital part of the rehabilitation process and gives all competitors a focus.

"It is also a place to celebrate the gift of life and an opportunity to thank our donors and their families.

"The whole team is looking forward to the buzz and excitement in Bangkok, where we will try to bring back a host of gold medals."

Supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Transplant Games, held every two years, is the largest organ donor awareness event in the world, featuring a nine-day series of sporting events.

The UK team of 125 athletes will join more than 1,000 others from 55 countries, all of whom have undergone an organ transplant.

In 2005 the UK squad returned home from the 15th World Transplant Games in Ontario, Canada, boasting a total of 199 medals and claiming the overall title. (View photos of the Canadian games at Canada 2005.)

Lynne Holt, UK team manager for the 2007 games, said, "By staging these events people see the direct benefits of organ donation as they witness these amazing athletes triumph over life-threatening conditions.

"The competitors are truly inspiring.

"They have already won the race to live, but are now celebrating being alive to race."

The World Transplant Games began on Saturday (August 25) and run until Sunday (September 2).

For more information on the World Transplant Games please visit the Games website.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Robert Kolatschek, a liver transplant recipient (1997) and his new bride Mae Herrera are in Bangkok for the World Transplant Games August 25th to September 3rd. They are posting live reports on a blog sponsored by Trillium Gift of Life Network in Toronto, Canada. Check out their blog at the following link: Transplant Games. Robert was a gold medallist in high jump and the 4x100 relay at the XV Games in London, Ontario, Canada. Over 34 Canadian transplant recipients have joined athletes from around the world in Bangkok to compete, volunteer and support one another. Previous Event Photos: Canada 2005.

For more information on the World Transplant Games please visit the Games website.

Friday, August 24, 2007

This news release in Science Daily is of special interest to transplant patients because we are very susceptible to hypertension (high blood pressure) due to the side effects of drugs such as cyclosporine, tacrolimus, rapamune and prednisone. Because of this we must take blood pressure medication and reduce high-salt and high-fat foods in our diet. Yet this news release suggests many people do not comply with their treatment and stop taking their hypertension drugs when blood pressure levels fall. Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to stroke, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease and death.

“Lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity, a salt-rich diet with high processed and fatty foods, and alcohol and tobacco use, are at the heart of this increased disease burden, which is spreading at an alarming rate from developed countries to emerging economies, such as India and China.”

August 22, 2007The LancetScience Daily — The biggest problem for controlling hypertension (high blood pressure) is compliance with treatment, says an editorial in the cardiology special edition of the Lancet.

The editorial, which ties in with a seminar on hypertension, says: “Despite very effective and cost-effective treatments, target blood pressure levels are very rarely reached, even in countries where cost of medication is not an issue. Many patients still believe that hypertension is a disease that can be cured, and stop or reduce medication when blood pressure levels fall.”

The risk of becoming hypertensive for a person in a developed country exceeds a “staggering” 90%, and the increasingly common combination and interaction of hypertension with obesity, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia, if left untreated for too long, leads to cardiovascular disease, stroke, renal failure and death.

The disease burden of hypertension is expected to massively increase in the coming years. In 2000, the estimated number of adults living with high blood pressure was 972 million; this is expected to increase to 1.56 billion by 2025. The Editorial says: “Lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity, a salt-rich diet with high processed and fatty foods, and alcohol and tobacco use, are at the heart of this increased disease burden, which is spreading at an alarming rate from developed countries to emerging economies, such as India and China.”

The editorial concludes: “Physicians need to convey the message that hypertension is the first, and easily measurable, irreversible sign that many organs in the body are under attack. Perhaps this message will make people think more carefully about the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle and give preventative measures a real chance.”

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Trillium Gift of Life Network salutes provincial representatives at World Transplant Games

August 21, 2007 - Toronto, ON - Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) salutes the transplant athletes, volunteers and their families headed to Bangkok for the World Transplant Games that begin this Saturday and is pleased to announce daily updates via a live blog from the TGLN website.

“The World Transplant Games are an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation throughout the globe,” said Frank Markel, President and CEO of TGLN. “These competitors have come so far since their transplants, it is incredible. That they are able to compete at such phenomenal athletic levels really illustrates the success of transplantation. We are very proud of all of them, wish them the very best of luck and look forward to reading all the details on the live blog hosted from our website.”

Over 34 Canadian transplant recipients will join athletes from around the world in Bangkok to compete, volunteer and support one another this summer.

“Ever since I received my transplant in 1996 I have been able to resume a very active lifestyle," said 34-year old liver recipient Rob Kolatschek from Toronto. "I'm proud be going to Bangkok to participate in the World Transplant Games as an athlete. It shows potential donors and donor families all of the good that can come of their decision to give the gift of life. I’d encourage everyone to speak to your family about your wishes today - your decision can save lives. Every athlete in Bangkok is proof of that."

Kolatschek will be participating in track and field and volleyball events and will be blogging live from the games.

Trillium Gift of Life Network is responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating and supporting organ and tissue donation across Ontario and improving the system so that more lives can be saved. Sign your donor card. Talk to your family about your wishes.

For more details on the blog (which will be up and running at the start of the Games) or Trillium Gift of Life Network please visit our website or call 416.363.4001 or toll free 1-800-263-2833.

For more information on the World Transplant Games please visit the Games website.

Merv's note:The World Transplant Games take place every two years where over 1500 athletes representing some 64 countries compete at an extraordinarily high level demonstrating the physical success of transplant surgery and the need to increase organ donation. The 16th World Transplant Games will be held at Bangkok’s Hua Mark Sports Complex, the top sports venue in Thailand. It is located in the compound of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) in Bangkapi District of Bangkok.Previous Event: Canada 2005 See Photos

Monday, August 20, 2007

Congratulations to living liver donor Robert E. Crawford and sister-in-law recipient Marilyn Olivo-Crawford who, along with their team, successfully motorcycled across Canada July 21st to August 17th and I’m pleased to support this initiative to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation.

Robert says that access to the internet was difficult to find at times but he did his best to keep us updated. Their final report follows. For a day-to-day update of the ride from start to finish click here.

August 15thAfter a good night’s sleep we got an early start out of Banff towards Kamloops. Riding through the mountains can be quite “cool” in the temperature sort of way. Marilyn & I had all our warm gear on and rain gear as well to help insolate from the chilly & damp air. The riding was great as the roads are twisty and have many turns. We kept riding and should have gotten gas outside of Glacier National Park but we didn’t. Entering into the park we asked some workers where the closest gas station was. They “thought” there was one along the Roger’s Pass or possible another 85kms away at Revelstoke. We would be running on fumes in about 60kms! While approaching the Rogers Pass we saw two guys along the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. They looked like they just came off the set of the movie “Deliverance”. They waved at us and I crossed my fingers that I would not run out of gas along this part of the highway.

The gas station at Rogers Pass finally appeared and we pulled in. The gas was $1.30/Litre. By this point the temperature had warmed up enough to start the removal of some of our layers. The mountain roads continued to be great riding and we kept heading westward. The weather kept warming up each km traveled. Closer to Kamloops, Terri called ahead and confirmed our meeting location with Troy & Calinda from the Kamloops Rotary Club. Along with the Rotary people there was a large number of the “Sober Riders” motorcycle group.

The temperature in Kamloops was about 30 degrees C with clear skies and little wind. That is perfect motorcycle weather in my books. We pulled into the rest stop where we met up with all the bikers and enjoyed some cool drinks together. They were the nicest group of people you could ever hope to meet and they made us feel very welcome. The local landscape was very interesting to me and looked like the Badlands. We all sat around and talked bikes and no one was in a hurry to go anywhere. Kamloops gets very little rain and has long hot summers.

Once we were well hydrated and had put green “Organ Donation” magnets on all the bikes we started our engines. Many of the other bikes were Harleys and had a nice rumbling sound. I tried to compete, but a 4 cylinder Suzuki has more of a jet engine whine sound. We were escorted by about 15 motorcycles into Kamloops and right to our hotel. The hotel has a parking lot next door that overlooks Kamloops, where we all pulled into.

While we said our goodbyes to the other riders the hotel manager put up a “No Vacancy” sign! That was strange because the hotel parking lot had lots of empty spaces. It turned out that he didn’t like motorcycles and didn’t want us all to stay there. What a joke! We had a reservation and the president of the Rotary club checked us in and paid for our hotel rooms. We were given rooms at the back of the hotel so the other hotel patrons wouldn’t be exposed to the 3 unsavory riders. It must have been Jacob’s big smile that scared him! Maybe Marilyn, Jacob & I must have looked like we were going to cause trouble!

The night was so warm that Jacob & I went exploring until about 11:00PM. He was able to win a deck of cards at an arcade and was very happy with that prize. Ernie & Terri also walked around and Marilyn did some E-Mails. We all cranked up the A/C in our rooms and went to sleep. Nothing is scheduled until 12:00 noon the next day.

August 16thAbout 11:30AM we all regrouped and looked very respectable in our “Event” good clothes. The Rotary Club was having their weekly meeting next door and we were invited to give a presentation on our campaign. Lunch was provided and we heard about all the fantastic things the Rotary Club members are involved in. After our presentation we were given 2 donation cheques; one was for our ride and the other for the BC Transplant Society. That was very nice and totally unexpected.

During the final parts of the meeting Troy & Calinda talked about how they “connected” with our team. We all felt the same way and were glad to have the opportunity to meet them and the other Rotary & Sober Rider group members. Ernie made an impromptu speech about our ride and his sister Marilyn. It was very touching and came from the heart.

We had to leave right after the meeting. The next and last stop on our Cross Canada Motorcycle Ride is Vancouver. The weather for this part of the ride was opposite to the last few days. It was very hot in Kamloops and it got colder and windier as we approached Vancouver. The highway was incredibly hilly and exciting to ride along. Some of the hills were 5km long and very steep. Jacob was busy taking pictures and enjoying the scenery.

Closer to Vancouver we hit some serious traffic and were just crawling along. It was so slow I was able to show Jacob a 4” long slug on the side of the road. Then the rain started. We were to close to our destination to care, so we rode on. Our clutch hands were getting tired from the stop & go and were glad to exit the highway onto Hastings Street.

Traveling along East Hasting was a real shock to our entire team. There are so many people who need help in that area. We had never experienced this situation on this scale before, even in the poorest sections of Toronto. We rode on and were thankful of our own blessings……

Carolyn and Abigail had arrived to the hotel about 6:00pm and checked in and waited for us. We finally arrived at our hotel at 8:10pm and were met by the two of them and my parents. It was great to be back together and exchange stories on our adventures while apart. Jacob & I got cleaned up and ordered some badly needed food; tomorrow is our ending venue in Vancouver.

August 17thThere was a public employee strike in Vancouver, so we were unable to coordinate to meet with the mayor or have any event at city hall. Carolyn worked with Allison Brown (BC Transplant Society) to have the final event held at their head offices. This was scheduled to begin at 11:30AM. The chase vehicle led us through Vancouver along many one-way streets and construction zones. The BC Transplant Society had a large tent set up out front for us and spaces for us to drive our bikes up on the sidewalk. Many BCTS employees and other people were in attendances. The cheque from the Kamloops Rotary Club was presented to the Director of the BCTS by us. We enjoyed some cake and cool drinks.

CTV news was there and interviewed us for the evening news program. After the official ceremony we were given a personal tour of the BC Transplant Society offices. This group looks after many aspects of the organ donation process. All the “donor cards” are processed through them and all cards are scanned and stored in a database for easy retrieval. Ontario is going to implement a similar system. Our representative, who provided the tour of the facility, had donated a kidney to his wife. He has a very personal interest with the “Organ Donation” issue.

Our ride team and other family members had some lunch together and planned the rest of our last day. At 2:00PM the chase car and the 2 motorcycles headed towards Abbotsford BC to drop off the bikes for shipping back east. We needed to be there before 4:00PM but got stuck in traffic and didn’t arrive until 4:45PM. The people at the shipping company were very nice to stay open later on a Friday afternoon.

Marilyn was happy to say goodbye to her bike but I didn’t want to have the riding journey end! I finally said goodbye to my bike and did enjoy being chauffeured back to Vancouver. The traffic congestion was also encountered going back into the city so we didn’t arrive until 7:00PM. The chase vehicle will have to be dropped off on Saturday, a day late.

We enjoyed a closing dinner with family at a revolving restaurant in downtown Vancouver. The night was clear and provided a great view of the city and surrounding areas. Jacob & Abigail enjoyed watching the buildings go by…..what a great way to cap off a very successful ride!

In Conclusion:I want to thank all the ride supporters and our family members who have done so much in making this ride possible. We rode over 7,600km’s and saw many of fantastic parts of Canada. Each area of the country is different from the previous one and has its own unique beauty. The people we met were amazing and the memories will stay with us a lifetime.

I believe that the entire ride team has been able to encourage more Canadians to sign their donor cards. We hope the dialogue continues about organ & tissue donation to help all those people still on the waiting lists. Many of these people on the waiting list for organ donations and/or recipients were met along the route. They were encouraged by our efforts. During the ride I also received E-Mails from people who had personally been affected by organ donation and wanted to thank us for our efforts. They made us feel that we, in our small way, were making a difference.

Saving up to 8 lives through organ donation is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.

“Give to Live – Live to Give”

I hope you have enjoyed following us during our cross country adventure. We have appreciated all the E-Mails of encouragement you have sent. Robert E. CrawfordEmail Robert

Living liver donor Robert E. Crawford and sister-in-law recipient Marilyn Olivo-Crawford motorcycled across Canada July 21st to August 16th and I’m pleased to support this initiative to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation.

Robert says that access to the internet was difficult to find at times but he did his best to keep us updated. His most recent report is below. For a day-to-day update of the ride from start to finish click here.

August 13The weather man must know we don’t like wind because the day started very windy. We left Medicine Hat about 8:30AM (right on schedule). We were reluctant to say good-bye to the monster water-slide at the hotel. Maybe the hostel in Banff will have another one. Not likely!

The temperature was about 9 degrees C. We had all our sweaters on and rain gear to keep warm. I thought my hand grip warmers were a waste when I got the bike but they have been turned on for much of the few days. Thank you Sean for installing them!

Going west out of Medicine Hat we saw the flattest part of the prairies yet. They were still very cool to look at. We saw some huge hay bales that looked like large loaves of bread all stacked up. These things were about 15 feet long and 6 feet high! There were some tiny prairie dogs sitting on the side of the road looking around and flocks of small ducks splashing in the ponds. I liked the prairies much more than I thought.

The scenery was flat and then all of a sudden comes the rolling hills. Everything turns very green. We ate lunch just outside of Calgary and it was very expensive. Soup was $3.30 a bowl and a glass of milk was $2.50. This was a truck stop. I guess the truckers are rich out west. Leaving after lunch the drizzle started. It never got raining very hard and then tapered off as we neared Banff.

The mountains rose up so quickly and it was a shock after the prairies. On the way into Banff we didn’t “rubber-neck” too much or you would drive off the road. We were staying at a hostel for 2 nights and I was just imagining what it would look like. When we arrived it was very nice. The rooms were clean and they had a full kitchen and laundry for us to use. There was free Internet access and a great lounge to sit in. I think this hostel is not reflective of the usual type found around the world.We ate dinner at a local spot and then headed to bed. We wanted to get an early start the next day to cram in as much tourist stuff as possible.

August 14Our “Rest Day” started at 7:30AM when we drove up to Lake Louise. It was a nice drive and we took the scenic route. As we rounded a bend we saw a large elk eating in the woods. We stopped and took some pictures while he was joined by another large elk. They were about 20 feet away and didn’t seem to mind us. An RCMP officer drove by and smiled at us as he “encouraged” us to move along. There was no more wildlife seen on the way to Lake Louise. It is well worth the drive up to Lake Louise! The lake is quite spectacular. We walked around and took some photos of the scenery.

Once done at Lake Louise we drove back to Banff and to the hot springs. Marilyn, Ernie & Terri all had massages booked. I am not a touchy-feely kind of guy and didn’t want to join them. Before the massages we all went into the hot springs and cooked in the water. It was 41 degrees C. It felt great once you were out and showered off. Afterwards, Jacob & I went exploring while the others went to be “kneaded”. We all meet back up and drove into downtown Banff and did some walking around. In our exploring we found a supermarket where Ernie & Terri purchased our inner ingredients that they made for us back at the hostel. All of us ate more than expected and we offered our extras to other hostel guests. It was a great way to meet other people staying at the hostel.

The next day we head to Kamloops and it is over 500kms. We went to bed early and all slept very well.

I hope you have enjoyed following us during our cross country adventure. We have appreciated all the E-Mails of encouragement you have sent. Robert E. CrawfordCross Canada Motorcycle Ride for Organ & Tissue Donation AwarenessEmail Robert

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Many thousands of people are waiting for life-saving kidney transplants and the authors believe that this advancement will encourage people to be more willing to donate kidneys and thus expand the potential pool of organ donors.

"For the donor patient, a robot-assisted procedure can offer all the benefits of a minimally-invasive procedure, including less pain, less blood loss and less need for blood transfusions. Patients have a shorter hospital stay, a quicker recovery and faster return to normal activities."

(Chicago) – August 15, 2007 - Surgeons at Rush University Medical Center are performing living-donor kidney transplants using a new high-definition robotic surgery system that offers improved precision, shorter recovery and smaller incisions for the donor patient.

Utilizing the new high-definition da Vinci S Surgical System, the surgeon sits in a console a few feet from the patient and views the surgical site through a high-definition three dimensional viewer. The laparoscopic camera and robotic arms are inserted into the patient though four half-inch incisions. The surgeon uses hand controls and foot pedals to manipulate the robotic arms in the mechanically-assisted surgery. The fully intact kidney is removed through a small three inch bikini line incision. Read the full News Release.

Friday, August 17, 2007

This news release from the American Associaton for Cancer Research disposes of the myth that alternative tobacco products are safer than cigarettes. The study notes that users of such products are exposed to high levels of the carcinogens that cause lung cancer.

PHILADELPHIA - August 9, 2007 - It may not be inhaled into the lungs, but smokeless tobacco exposes users to some of the same potent carcinogens as cigarettes. In the August issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, researchers at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center report that users of smokeless tobacco are exposed to higher amounts of tobacco-specific nitrosamines -- molecules that are known to be carcinogenic -- than smokers.

Smokeless tobacco, also known as oral snuff, is a variant on chewing tobacco that users suck on by slipping it between their cheeks and gums. In a study comparing 182 oral snuff users with 420 cigarette smokers, the Minnesota researchers found that snuff users were exposed to higher levels of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) than smokers. NNK is a human carcinogen known to produce lung cancer as well as cancers of the pancreas, nasal mucosa and liver in laboratory animals.

"Smokeless tobacco products have been proposed by some as safer alternatives to cigarettes, but they are not safe," said author Stephen S. Hecht, Ph.D., professor of cancer prevention at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center. "The only likely safe alternative to smoking is the long term use of nicotine replacement therapy as a means to reduce dependence."

"In fact, this study lends evidence to support the notion that the oral use of tobacco actually provides a more efficient means for delivering certain carcinogens into the body through the bloodstream, although cigarette smoke includes a host of carcinogenic products that aren't a major factor in smokeless tobacco," Hecht said.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Living liver donor Robert E. Crawford and sister-in-law recipient Marilyn Olivo-Crawford are motorcycling across Canada July 21st to August 16th and I’m pleased to support this initiative to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation.

Robert says that access to the internet is difficult to find at times but he will do his best to keep us updated. His most recent report is below. For a day-to-day update of the ride from start to finish click here.

August 12The temperature today was very cold and the wind was blowing quite hard. Not a good day to ride motorcycles across the prairies. We left Regina at 8:30AM and headed 450KM’s towards Medicine Hat, AB. We stopped about one hour out of Regina and had huge breakfasts along the highway. Marilyn & I put on more layers of clothes and we continued westward. I really like the prairies and enjoy seeing the wide variety of landscapes. Some people warned me that they would be so flat and boring. It is just the opposite. The land is not as flat as I thought it would be. The fields of wheat and hundreds of hay bales look very cool.

We did finally see some deer, prairie dogs and coyotes today. There were also the usual cattle seen as well. There were also large areas of what look like dried salt flats along the road. We will have to find out what they are. The remains of a large grass fire were also visible for several KM’s. It must have been quite a fire…

As the day progressed the temperature climbed but the wind stayed strong. We began the process of removing layers now. By the time we got close to Medicine Hat it was about 28 C.

At 3:00PM we arrived in Medicine Hat at City Hall but the mayor was a no-show. The city hall is a nice building with a large sundial provided by the Rotary Organization. We explored the area on foot and found a huge chess set that a group of people were playing. The pieces were all donated by local people and businesses. Ernie & Terri went off to find a hotel for the evening. They located a good one near the highway and it had a waterslide. We all needed a swim to cool down and clean the road grime off.

Friends of Marilyn, Ernie & Terri, who live in Medicine Hat, invited us over for dinner. We enjoyed a nice home cooked meal and sitting in their backyard under the trees and talking about or trip so far. They helped us to relax and unwind. Jacob played with their 2 dogs and kept them chasing balls all evening.

Tomorrow we head for Banff and will be there for 2 days. It will be nice to have a full day where we can do some site-seeing.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

This article caught my attention because it confirms the importance of eating protein-rich food to build muscle mass. Of course, lack of exercise is also an important contributor to loss of muscle mass. Transplant patients know only too well how quickly muscles deteriorate when confined to a hospital bed for any length of time.

GALVESTON, Texas — August 9, 2007 - Scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have good news for people who want to stay strong in their old age: older bodies are just as good as young ones at turning protein-rich food into muscle.A new study published today suggests that a diet containing a moderate amount of protein-rich food such as beef, fish, pork, chicken, dairy or nuts may help slow the deterioration of elderly people’s muscles. Reducing the decline in muscle mass among the elderly is crucial to maintaining their health and independence, these researchers say. And they add that consuming adequate protein is essential for making and maintaining muscles. Since nutritional studies show that many elderly individuals eat less protein than the average person, researchers have reasoned that if the elderly simply increased their protein intake, they might slow down muscle loss — as long as old age doesn’t inherently interfere significantly with the ability to make muscles out of the protein in food. Read the full Full Article.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Living liver donor Robert E. Crawford and sister-in-law recipient Marilyn Olivo-Crawford are motorcycling across Canada July 21st to August 16th and I’m pleased to support this initiative to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation.

Robert says that access to the internet is difficult to find at times but he will do his best to keep us updated. His most recent report is below. For a day-to-day update of the ride from start to finish click here.

August 11The destination for today was Regina SK. We picked up Abbey at John & Charlene's house at 8:15AM. After saying our goodbyes we hit the road at 8:30am. Everything in Brandon is 10 minutes away so in 10 minutes we were on highway #1 heading west. The weather was chilly and very windy. The 2 bikes were getting blown all over the road. When the 18 wheelers passed us we made sure to hold on tight.

Beautiful to see the rolling prairies. We also saw our first oil-pump and of course many bales of hay. We stopped to get Abigail some milk. As she started to drink it she complained that it tasted different. Carolyn didn't realize that she had purchased "whipping cream"!

The wind kept picking up and the temperature was dropping so we made a stop to add another layer of clothes. We reached Indian Head SK about 1:30 and realized that we had gained an hour. The real time was 12:30PM so we were doing very well to get Carolyn & Abbey to the airport by 2:30PM.

FYI John.....would you believe we met your right hand man "Chuck" from the base in his “Civi's” at the Craft-Tea Elevator Restaurant? It is a small world! We wish him well with his upcoming hip surgery!

Closer to Regina Carolyn moved to the front of the group and expertly led us right to the hotel. The hotel is very nice and will be a good spot to explore Regina from. Once we unloaded our stuff we drove Carolyn & Abbey to the airport. This will be Abbey's first airplane ride. She is very excited.

The airport is close by and be were able to see Carolyn & Abbey while they went through security. I am sure Abbey will keep the other passengers entertained on the flight.

Jacob & I will miss having the other half of our family with us and providing so much support. Carolyn has been a key person in making this ride the success it has been.

Note from Carolyn after arriving in VancouverAbigail did well on her first airplane ride. We didn't have much time to catch our connecting flight from Edmonton to Vancouver, but Abigail handled it like a pro! With her Dora flight attendant bag on rolling wheels, we made the flight with ease. There were many children on this flight Rob. We cruised at 450 mph at an altitude of 40,455 feet.

We sat with a gentleman who's brother received a kidney transplant two years ago. Unfortunately he is failing in health due to some other health complications. He enjoyed Abigail and was very interested in hearing what we are doing. He had taken a train ride across Canada with his wife about five years ago and was giving us his perspective of all the beautiful sites he had seen.

On our descent into Vancouver, I took some shots of the Rockies...gorgeous!

After our flight landed in Vancouver, we were able to visit with the Pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit for a good 15 minutes. They were very interested in hearing about what we are doing.

Anita and Alex met us that the airport with a great sign that Alex had made. We retrieved our luggage right away but had to wait for Abigail’s car seat. It had arrived in another location.

Charles drove all of us to Surrey where they live and we had a home cooked meal. Abigail watched Over the Hedge and I crashed early. I was nice to see Anita bond with Abigail and for Alex to enjoy his other cousin.

We are off to church in the morning and then leave for Harrison Hot Springs for 4 days. We are looking forward to the beach and hanging out together. Carolyn.

After dropping Carolyn and Abbey off at the airport Jacob & I went and explored Regina while Marilyn caught some zzzzz's. We found a folk festival and enjoyed the displays and music. The city was fairly quiet on Saturday night but still interesting. The Regina University is a unique building that looks like it belongs in Europe. At 8:30pm we are all heading back out to the airport to pick up our next chase driver duo; Ernie & Terri Olivo. They will be taking care of the driving from here to Vancouver.

I can't believe that we have so few days left of riding. Motorcycling is a great way to experience the country and gives the rider a lot of time to think. I would like to turn around in BC and ride back home.

Tomorrow is a +450km day so we will be getting an early start. We need to meet the mayor of Medicine Hat at 3:00PM. I hope the wind is weaker and the temperature higher. We will deal with what ever comes our way.

Thanks for all the responses to our updates. They mean a great deal to our team......

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Living liver donor Robert E. Crawford and sister-in-law recipient Marilyn Olivo-Crawford are motorcycling across Canada July 21st to August 16th and I’m pleased to support this initiative to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation.

Robert says that access to the internet is difficult to find at times but he will do his best to keep us updated. His most recent report is below. For a day-to-day update of the ride from start to finish click here.

August 9We got organized and dropped Shelley off at the airport in plenty of time for her 10:30AM flight. We rode out from Winnipeg at about 10:00AM for Brandon. It is only 210km away so we didn’t have to rush. The highway was straight as an arrow and not very busy. This was our first look at the prairies. I really like the huge wheat fields and ranches and seeing the massive irrigation systems in place. You can see so far down the road that it seems like you are hardly moving. We actually passed our first motorcycle on this leg. It was a Harley with 2 riders who were in less of a rush than we were.

The weather was sunny and a very nice day for a ride. With the long straight highway we were able to take some good pictures of the bikes and chase car. Carolyn came up along side of us a few times so that she could take some pictures and for Abigail to wave and blow kisses to us.

Along the route we stopped in Portage for a drink and quick rest. We were recognized by another traveler from our segment on Winnipeg TV. He was very nice and gave us a donation towards our ride. People have been incredible along the way and it is encouraging to know that the message is getting some attention. The chase car and bikes now have many green-ribbon magnetic logos attached to them, thanks to the Kidney Foundation. I think this is helping to get people’s attention to our little entourage.

At 2:10PM we finally arrived in Brandon. John & Charlene Schneiderbanger met us at the local Tim Horton’s (our favorite watering hole!) It was great to see some familiar faces. We sat down and were introduced to Alf Kennedy from the Brandon Lions Club. There are 4 Lions clubs situated in Brandon alone. Alf knows “everyone” in Brandon and is helping us while we are in town. He advised Marilyn & I that we will be doing a radio interview in 10 minutes via his Cell phone. Cool! No rest for the weary.

After the interview we loaded up and followed John & Charlene towards our hotel. The Victoria Inn in Brandon donated 2 rooms for our team for two nights. That was a welcome surprise! We could also park our bikes right outside our window to keep an eye on them.

We had 45 minutes “free” to get cleaned up and ride over to City Hall to meet the media and Mayor Dave Burgess. He spent some time with us talking about the ride and our travels. There were some good opportunities for pictures. The Wheat City Journal and The Winnipeg Sun interviewed us and took some more pictures. I wanted to mention that all the media people have been very kind and helpful with us.

After City Hall we went to John & Charlene’s great home and then we were whisked off to a donated dinner at a local restaurant, Albert’s Bistro and Lounge. Most of us had prime rib that was sooooo good. Others had fish. You can guess who had what?

After dinner I went back with Jacob to John & Charlene’s and did what all other major media stars do….We did laundry until 11:30PM. Carolyn took Abigail to the hotel to sleep and Marilyn went back to the hotel to rest too.

August 10This morning is bike maintenance time. We have separate appointments for each bike to have the oil changed. These were donated by Brandon RV and Leisure and Forman Honda Power. Both bikes were checked out and ready to roll another 5,500kms. I picked up some cream to help remove burnt on boots from my exhaust. Jacob keeps using my exhaust for his foot rest. It is tough keeping your legs in one place for so long.

At noon we had a live TV interview scheduled with CKX television. We were escorted to the Green-Room that was really burgundy. There was makeup and extra clothes in the room. We all felt like real TV stars. Still no bowl of only Red “Skittles” like my contract clearly states. Oh well the show must go on!

Marilyn & I were ushered onto the floor where the Noon News Show was in progress. We tried not to trip on all the wires and cables. They wired us up for sound and we waited for our queue to come onto the set. It was interesting to see how things work behind the scenes. When it was our turn we sat with the host and she introduced us. We talked about the ride and the need to sign your donor cards.

We also thanked some of the Brandon groups and companies who have helped us so much while we were here. The “Schneiderburgers” will never forget being mentioned on TV. Once we left the set we met Lloyd who is in need of a double lung and liver transplant. He will be coming to Toronto for the surgery in early 2008. We will keep in touch with him to see if we can make it a little easier for him.

After the interview, in the parking lot, we saw the biggest wildlife so far, a huge jack rabbit that was 2 feet long. It was gigantic and Abbey wanted to take it home for a pet. “You can keep it if you can catch it”. I played the odds. We truly looked liked real tourists as Jacob and Carolyn were trying to get a picture of it!

John & Charlene brought us back to their home where they provided us with lunch before we headed out for a personal tour of CFB (Canadian Forces Base) Shilo. John drove us around the base and we got a detailed explanation of all the base functions and areas.

Charlene drove behind in her car with Carolyn, Abigail and their 4 year old daughter Maya. They were able to hear John’s commenting via walkie-talkies. We also were taken through the base museum and saw all sorts of cool artillery, gun carriers and tanks. There is some Russian and German equipment there that is not seen very often. Abbey & Jacob enjoyed playing on the anti-aircraft gun that could be rotated and the barrel raised & lowered. There was a photographer called Lori from the base following us around taking pictures. Next week we will be in the “STAG” one of the base’s newspapers.

Having the base commander give the tour had its benefits. We went into some areas where others can’t go and were also taken to the Officer’s Mess for a drink and some food. We met many soldiers and enjoyed talking to them.

It is hard to think that many of them are shipping out to Afghanistan very soon to face some very real dangers in trying to help that country get back on its feet. It will make the news stories out of that conflict much more real to us now. We hope they all come home safely and soon. Those men & women deserve a lot of credit for what they are doing every day.

After a long but enjoyable day we had some great Buffalo meat burgers and called it a day. Abbey wanted to stay overnight with John & Charlene’s daughter Maya. It has been great for Abigail to have a playmate for a couple of days and be reunited with Maya. Carolyn bought them some beads to make some jewelry. We will pick up Abigail early on Saturday on our way to Regina.

We will be changing chase drivers in Regina. We will be saying good-bye to Carolyn & Abbey as they fly to Vancouver to be there when we finish the ride on August 16th. Carolyn and Abigail will be meeting up with her sister Anita and spend 4 days at Harrison Hot Springs. She will also be finalizing all the details for the wrap up bash in Vancouver with her sister for August 17th. We pick up Ernie & Terri Olivo at the airport at 9:00pm tonight.

Carolyn has been a key reason that we have been able to make this ride a reality. She has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to plan and organize for us. I wanted to be sure that everyone knows how much I appreciated all her hard work in supporting me with this project. It would not have happened without her support. Thank you!

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Living liver donor Robert E. Crawford and recipient Marilyn Olivo-Crawford are motorcycling across Canada July 21st to August 16th and I’m pleased to support this initiative to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation.

Robert says that access to the internet is difficult to find at times but he will do his best to keep us updated. His most recent report is below. For a day-to-day update of the ride from start to finish click here.

August 8thWe left Dryden at 9:00AM as we had scheduled. The distance to Winnipeg is just under 350kms. My sister Shelley wanted to experience the ride on the bike and was my passenger for 3 hours. She enjoyed seeing the country side from a motorcycle perspective. Who knows, she may purchase a motorcycle and we could have all my siblings take a motorcycle trip together.

We took a rest stop in Kenora that took much longer than expected. Again the scenery was impressive. We saw our first buffalos en route to Winnipeg. These buffalos were waiting to become buffalo burgers as per the road-side sign. We still have not seen other any large wild life on this trip!

We finally reached the Ontario/Manitoba border at 11:50am. We took many pictures at this border and couldn’t believe we were finally out of Ontario.

Shelley came back into the chase vehicle and Jacob got back on the bike as we made our way into downtown Winnipeg. We reached City Hall at 1:59pm, one minute ahead of our planned arrival time. Nice job. The media was already in place and filmed our arrival to City Hall.

The Lions Eye Bank of Manitoba and Northwest Ontario, Transplant Manitoba, Gift of Life organization, The Kidney foundation and the Manager of Protocol from City Hall were waiting out front for our arrival. It is a great feeling to see all the hard work that the team has put into planning the ride come together. This was a very nice welcoming!

We met with Councilor Jeff Browaty and he was very gracious in his introduction. Marilyn & I outlined the ride and its mission to the assembled cameras and then we gave our individual speeches. Jacob also did an interview with CTV. Winnipeg is a much bigger city than I thought with a nice mix of new and old buildings.

The Lions Eye Bank, part of the Lions Foundation generously offered to lead us to a hotel and paid for our accommodations. That was a very nice surprise and helps us a great deal. We all went for a swim to relax and Abbey conquered her fear of the waterslide. Then it was a battle to get her to leave.

This was Shelley’s last night as part of the chase-driver crew. She flies back to Toronto tomorrow…we will miss her! It has been a great bonding time for our children to spend some time with their aunt. Carolyn will be the sole driver until we reach Regina. We went out for supper and recounted the adventures on this leg of the ride.

Tomorrow the team heads to Brandon MB, where we will be greeted by our good friends Charlene and John. There will be many more opportunities ahead to talk about our ride message.

Thanks for all your E-Mails, your encouragement energizes us. I will try to answer them all. Robert Crawford.E-mail Robert.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Living liver donor Robert E. Crawford and recipient Marilyn Olivo-Crawford are motorcycling across Canada July 21st to August 16th and I’m pleased to support this initiative to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation.

Robert says that access to the internet is difficult to find at times but he will do his best to keep us updated. His most recent report is below. For a complete chronology of the ride click here.

August 5thThe ride team rode to Terrace Bay from Sault Ste. Marie (408KM). There were no scheduled events planned today and that made the ride easier as we didn’t have to meet a deadline. This stop was possibly going to be bypassed but Marilyn needed the rest.

We stayed at a motel on the main strip of Terrace Bay. Check in to the motel was at the gas bar. Talk about multi tasking at its best! The lady was taking money for gas, selling cigs, pop and chips and was dispensing towels to the patrons of the motel. Carolyn was impressed!

The trucks were whizzing by and helped to “lull” us to sleep. Marilyn & Shelley were on the second floor of the motel. The balcony had a serious tilt and there were holes in the concrete that needed Mike Holmes.

During the night we heard someone mention outside our window, “That’s a 1200 Bandit”. Rob perked up and wanted to make sure his “baby” was O.K. These locals we think, were just admiring the bike?

The beach was across the street and the view was spectacular. Lake Superior is so huge. We have been riding/driving 2 days and it is still on our left. Dinner was at a Chinese food restaurant and was surprisingly good. Afterwards we all were tired and didn’t have a problem falling to sleep in spite of the traffic noise and watching old black and white movies.

August 6thThe destination was Thunder Bay. We stopped just outside of Thunder Bay at the rest stop that has been dedicated to Terry Fox. The beautiful bronze statue was designed by an Oakville artist. Reading the memorial just made you realize what this young man was trying to achieve - very inspirational! We could see the “sleeping giant” in the distance and took many pictures.

We arrived about 2:30PM at the Lakehead University Residences. Once we drove around the campus 300 hundred times (Shelley and Carolyn gave us the scenic route) we found our rooms. We had a 4-room townhouse all to ourselves. This was provided at no cost thanks to Lindsay Crawford’s efforts.

In the evening we went out for dinner and then did a radio interview for AM640 based in Toronto. That was an interesting session as we were in a parking lot with cars driving by and a guy asking us for money during the interview.

We decided that we wanted to see a movie and had to divide and conquer. Marilyn, Shelley, Jacob and I saw the “Bourne Ultimatum” and Carolyn took Abigail to see “Underdog”. Just before the movie I thought my helmet had been stolen due to a communications breakdown. After freaking-out when I realized I didn’t have my helmet, I made a dash across the highway and even checked out the guy who asked us for money. I then interrogated the store attendants who had seen the helmet on the car but didn’t see any one “take it”. I went back to the movie theatre and was not in a good mood. What I didn’t realize was that Shelley and Carolyn had seen that I had left it on the trunk of the Chase vehicle and thought that was odd. I had it there during the interview. They put it in the trunk for safe keeping but forgot to mention it to me. We had a good laugh. Ha ha….

Back to the residence we all crashed out. Carolyn & Abbey got the short straws and slept on folding cots.

FYI - I must have been so tired. The cots were really comfortable and I had an amazing sleep!

August 7thWe knew we had a long day ahead of us. Marilyn went to do some laundry, Carolyn and Abbey went swimming at the Fitness Complex on the University property. It has been great seeing where our niece Lindsay attends University. Shelley did a coffee run and Jacob hung out and watched TV.

The Rotary Club and volunteers from the Trillium Gift of Life arranged for us to speak at a function in Thunder Bay for noon today. Marilyn & I gave our presentation on organ & tissue donation. The event was held at the Prince Arthur Hotel in downtown Thunder Bay. The Rotary Clubs do many great things in their communities and world wide. After the meeting we were interviewed by TV and the local newspaper. Jacob got interviewed for the TV station as well. He looked like a real seasoned performer while being asked questions. There were the required motorcycle shots and driving away shots to arrange.

Marilyn spoke with Gary Cooper, a retired OPP officer who received a liver transplant also by Dr. Lilly. They had a lot to speak about. While we were wrapping up, Carolyn took Abbey down to the Marina to see the boats and let her stretch her legs. We have 352 km to go to reach Dryden.

At 2:30PM we left for Dryden. It was a good ride full of great scenery and also some areas of clear-cutting. The devastation from the clear cutting is hard on the eyes. Looks like some controlled fires to thin out the areas makes for the landscape to look ravaged! There is a steady stream of trucks carrying logs eastward towards the mills.

Along the way we passed into the Central Time Zone and gained an hour. Great, we will take that! We arrived at about 7:00PM and some of us went for a swim in the hotel pool.

Carolyn and Shelley went cruising the strip to pick up some items. WalMart is the big store here. They shopped at some grocery stores and picked up some supper for the rooms. No whole roasted chickens to be found, but we had some chicken pot pies, salad and carrot sticks.

We are constantly drawing on the strength from one another, enjoying the children, learning even more about our family, the people and realizing how blessed we are to live in such a great country. We take every opportunity to speak about our “mission” and we gain strength from touching one person at a time.

We leave tomorrow at 9:00am for Winnipeg and another media event…. And for you “bear lovers” we will be seeing an area dedicated to none other than “Winnie the Pooh”…Abigail will love that!

Jennifer Endsley, a nurse at Sierra Vista Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, told investigators that she spoke up because she was troubled by the behavior of a visiting transplant team as they prepared to harvest the organs of a 25-year-old disabled man last year.

"I don't think this is right," Endsley, one of several staffers in the operating room that February night, recalled saying.

What happened in Sierra Vista's Operating Room 3 is now the subject of an unprecedented criminal case.

San Luis Obispo County prosecutors filed three felony charges last week against San Francisco transplant surgeon Hootan Roozrokh, 33, alleging he tried to hasten the death of Ruben Navarro in order to harvest his organs. Full Article.

Monday, August 06, 2007

This will be of interest to our transplant community because as Provincial Health Minster of Ontario George Smitherman is responsible for initiatives to improve the rate of organ donation in the province.

ELLIOTT LAKE, Ontario - August 6, 2007 - Provincial Health Minister and Deputy Premier of Ontario George Smitherman and his partner Christopher Peloso made it official, exchanging vows yesterday before about 200 family members and well-wishers at Laurentian Lodge, a rustic and idyllic resort north of this small former mining community.

Smitherman, who as provincial health minister is a senior member of cabinet and often mentioned on the shortlist of future candidates for mayor of Toronto, acknowledged that such a public pronouncement of love would have political overtones.

Smitherman, 43, and Peloso, who first met 13 years ago, began dating about two years ago before deciding to make a lifelong commitment.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Further to the recent announcements by the Ontario Government about their intention to pay expenses and lost wages for living donors up to a maximum of $5,500 and conditional upon the Liberal's being re-elected in the upcoming election, this news release from MPP Frank Klees gives us much insight for consideration.

TO DEFER IS TO DO NOTHING: MCGUINTYAnd nothing is what McGuinty has done

(Queen’s Park) – August 3, 2007 - Dalton McGuinty has been sitting on the report of the “Citizens’ Panel on Increasing Organ Donation” for months. After McGuinty’s government received the report sometime in early April, Health Minister George Smitherman promptly put it on a shelf, telling voters that Dalton McGuinty wasn’t going to touch the issue.

This despite the fact that no fewer than three pieces of legislation had been introduced in the Legislature by members of all three parties – any one of which would have improved the organ donation system in Ontario.

One of these bills, Bill 67, the Organ and Tissue Donation Mandatory Declaration Act, introduced by PC MPP Frank Klees (Oak Ridges) in February, 2006, had received all party support, gone to committee for hearings, and been referred back to the Legislature for third reading in April, 2007, where it waited for Dalton McGuinty to call it for a final vote.

The bill would have made law one of the major recommendations of the organ donation panel by requiring people to make a declaration regarding their willingness to be an organ donor prior to renewing their health cards or drivers’ licences.

But Dalton McGuinty dithered. He deflected. And he delayed.

Until June 5, 2007, when he prorogued the House more than three weeks early – hours before scandal-plagued Citizenship and Immigration Minister Mike Colle was to appear before a parliamentary committee to answer questions about his role in the McGuinty government’s slush fund.

McGuinty denied he was ending the parliamentary session early to avoid having to deal with the scandal. “We’ve completed our agenda,” he said.

Not quite.

When McGuinty killed the House, he killed Bill 67. And with it the hopes of more than 1,700 people waiting for organ donations that Dalton McGuinty might take some real action on this life-and-death issue.

“We welcome any steps that can be taken to save lives,” said Klees. “What we don't understand is why Dalton McGuinty allowed a Bill that not only had all party support in the legislature, but was endorsed by the medical community and the government's own commission on organ donation.

“No one can understand how Dalton McGuinty could justify letting a bill die on the order paper that was so widely supported – one that the medical community stated would have saved lives,” said Klees. “If there is one issue where politics should have been set aside, this was it, but unfortunately neither the Dalton McGuinty nor George Smitherman could see their way past their own purely partisan agenda.”

Today’s announcement is nothing more than an election promise from Dalton McGuinty. He had the time to improve Ontario’s organ donation. He just lacked the leadership.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Boosting Organ Donations, Saving Lives I posted the Ontario government's press release (below) yesterday before I learned about Dalton McGuinty's comments at a meeting with interested parties. From what I read in today's papers, this inititive will only become a reality if we re-elect his government this coming October. Also, there seems to be a cap of $5,500 on what the government will pay for expenses such as lost wages and travel, etc.

TORONTO, Aug. 3 /CNW/ - Premier Dalton McGuinty today announced the Ontario government is investing $4 million in a comprehensive new plan to boost organ donations and save lives.

"Too many Ontarians face an agonizing wait for an organ that could save their life," said Premier McGuinty. "We want to do everything we can to help boost organ donation so more Ontarians get the second chance at life that they deserve."

The government's organ donation strategy will:

Help connect living donors with compatible recipients with a new living donor database

Improve public awareness through investments in public education, including a youth-focused campaign

Provide funding to reimburse living donors for pre-approved expenses, such as accommodation, meals, travel and lost income

Provide hospitals with information identifying people who wish to donate their organs after death. This will help ensure those individuals' organ donation wishes are known and respected.

"Organ donation saves hundreds of lives each year across Ontario, yet there are not enough available donors to meet the demand for organ transplants," said Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman. "Our made-in-Ontario Organ Donation Strategy will make the province's organ donation system more effective so we can save more lives in the future, particularly through support for living donations."

The new organ donation strategy is guided by recommendations made by the Citizens Panel on Increasing Organ Donations. The McGuinty government established the panel in 2006 to survey the public on their views about organ donation and ways to improve and increase organ donation. The panel released its final report in April 2007.

"We are delighted the government has moved so quickly in response to our report," said Dr. Ted Boadway, Chair of the Citizens Panel on Increasing Organ Donations. "Ontarians on waiting lists for organ transplants will have a new chance at life."

"This is a great day for people on the waiting list for an organ transplant and for potential living donors," said Frank Markel, President and CEO of Trillium Gift of Life Network. "This new strategy will improve communication with potential living organ donors and those waiting so that more donations and transplantations can occur, and, save more lives."

The government's organ donation strategy is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have achieved results in health care services across the province. Other initiatives include:

$10.4 million in additional funding for 2007-08 for hospitals to support organ transplantation across Ontario

Implementing Routine Notification and Request - a strategy requiring Ontario's hospitals to report all deaths to Trillium Gift of Life Network, allowing it to take the necessary steps to determine if an organ donation is possible

Providing hospitals with the funds needed for screening, assessment and surgery of living liver and kidney donors.

"Thousands of Ontarians have already made the courageous step of giving the most powerful gift of all - the gift of life," said Premier McGuinty. "We're going to keep working with Ontarians and our health care partners to increase organ donation so we can save even more lives."

Friday, August 03, 2007

Sponsored by the Ontario branch of the Kidney Foundation of Canada, this walk will be held in numerous communities across Ontario. For complete details, locations and to register go to Lifesaver Walk.

Each day an average of 14 Canadians learns that their kidneys have failed. Right now in Ontario alone there are 1165 people waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant. Only 227 kidney transplants have been performed in Ontario to date this year. It's easy to see that the need for organ donors is critical.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

On July 1st England became smoke-free in public places to join Ireland and Scotland in making the entire United Kingdom smoke-free. They've come a long way since the Medical Research Council in the UK announced that smoking actually was a cause of cancer 50 years ago in 1957. We also now know that smoking is a major cause of the need for lung transplantation due to the many other diseases it inflicts, such as emphysema/copd.

“Half of all smokers get killed by tobacco, and stopping works. If the ban on smoking in public places eventually helps a million smokers to stop, it will avoid nearly half a million tobacco deaths.”

MRC News ReleaseExactly 50 years ago on June 29 in 1957, the Medical Research Council issued the first official statement by any national research organisation in the world that smoking was actually an important cause of lung cancer. (BMJ 29 June 1957 pp 1523-4)

MRC research into the great increase in UK lung cancer death rates began in 1947, showing smoking to be a major cause of it. Studies from other countries showed similar findings, but at that time the UK had the worst death rates from smoking in the world.

In an immediate response in Parliament to the 1957 MRC statement, the Health Ministry accepted that smoking was a major cause of lung cancer and deemed it the Government’s responsibility to inform the public of the dangers of smoking.

Subsequent MRC-supported research, especially by Sir Richard Doll and Sir Richard Peto, has measured the full eventual hazards of smoking, showing that half of all persistent smokers are killed by their addiction but that stopping smoking works. Since the first major MRC publication in 1950, about 7 million people in the UK and 100 million people in other countries have been killed by smoking. In Britain, however, the death rates are falling fast because half the smokers have stopped (10 million have stopped, while 10 million still smoke). Most who have not stopped say they wish they had.

Sir Richard Peto, Professor of Medical Statistics at Oxford, said “Half of all smokers get killed by tobacco, and stopping works. If the ban on smoking in public places eventually helps a million smokers to stop, it will avoid nearly half a million tobacco deaths.” Read the full News Release.